1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for the production of a smooth, homogeneous, spreadable, protein enriched, low-fat butter or margarine product for use as a table spread, and the resultant low-fat product. The method is characterized by a high speed cutting action step to cause rupture of fat globules which obviates the need for emulsifiers for fat stability or stabilizers to prevent undesirable syneresis.
Butter has long been used as a spread for breads and other foods as well, as in cooking for enhancement of flavor. Butter can be prepared by churning high fat cream until the fat separates out as butter. Since butter is high in cholesterol, non-cholesterol-containing margarine has risen in popularity as a butter substitute for health reasons. Margarine has many disadvantages, such as a high fat content, as well as a greasy mouth feel and taste. They also contain numerous chemicals and other additives.
It is desirable and the principal object of this invention to prepare a butter or margarine product which is low in fat and cholesterol, which is nutritious and which provides organoleptic characteristics more akin to butter.
2. The Prior Art
No prior art is known which discloses or suggests the production of a low-fat butter or margarine product by use of a high speed cutting action to rupture fat globules and eliminate the need for emulsifiers and stabilizers. The following references relate to somewhat analogous methods of producing dairy based food products including the addition of fat to a dairy-based protein composition and blending and/or homogenizing of the mixture.
In Milk Gel Structure, XV. Electron Microscopy of Whey Protein Based Cream Cheese Spread, M. Kalab et al, Milchwissenschaft, 40 (4) pp. 193-196 (1985), there is disclosed a method for making the cream cheese spread from Ricotta cheese and cultured high fat cream blended using a Polytron blender and homogenizer. Although some of the products may contain protein, fat and moisture within the ranges of the product of this invention, the process resulted in a relatively coarse microstructure (p. 194, col. 2, last paragraph) and lacked the ruptured fat globules.
In Development of Microstructure in a Cream Cheese Based Queso Blanco Cheese, M. Kalab et al, Food Microstructure, Vol. 4 (1985), pp. 89-98, there is disclosed a method for making cream cheese prepared from cultured high fat cream and Queso Blanco cheese curd (acid precipitated from milk) followed by homogenization. Mixing of the curd with the cultured cream in a Polytron blender resulted in relatively large particle sizes which were gritty (pp. 94 and 97, as well as FIG. 9). Homogenization resulted in the disintegration of the protein particles (page 97 and FIG. 14). Cream cheese made from Queso Blanco cheese is not as spreadable as cream cheese made from Ricotta Cheese (page 97, col. 1, 11th line from bottom).
In Barta U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,834, there is disclosed a dairy based food product prepared from partially delactosed condensed milk solids having the proportion of solids substantially the same as in the final product. Fat may be added up to 40% of the weight of the final product. This material is cooked until a gel is formed following which the material is agitated and blended to form a smooth homogeneous product. A small amount of a stabilizer is desirably included to prevent syneresis and a small amount of an emulsifier is desirably included for fat emulsification.
Edwards U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,186 discloses a Ricotta type cheese prepared by acidifying skim milk, separating the whey from the so formed coagulum and balancing the fat level with cream. The mixture is then comminuted, such as by pumping the mixture through a partially closed valve, to provide the proper texture for the Ricotta type cheese. This low-fat cheese product could be a starting material for the process of the present invention.
The present invention is based on the discovery that a low-fat spreadable butter or margarine product can be prepared from a dairy base without the need for emulsifiers and stabilizers by subjecting the ingredients to high speed cutting action to rupture the fat globules.